A Future Almost Lost
by FaithinBones
Summary: Due to their tragic pasts Booth and Brennan were haunted by those dark times. Together they were able to fight for a better life.
1. Chapter 1

This story was inspired by the story "Sound of the Sea" written by Dgschneider. She wanted me to do a story about PTSD. I hope you like it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

She knew what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was. Of course she did. She had never been diagnosed with it herself, but deep down she knew that she had probably suffered from that affliction when she was younger. Her childhood starting at age 15 had been filled with horror. Not the horrors a soldier sees in war, but what does that matter?

Take a child from her home, her parents gone perhaps dead, her brother feels overwhelmed and he abandons his sister, giving her to the state and the horror begins. Place that unfortunate waif into foster homes that should never have been allowed to take children into their houses and the nightmare continues. Foster parents that think nothing of beating her and in the end almost killing her by locking her in the trunk of a car for several hours. Those are the horrors that one never thinks can happen, but it does.

Once removed from that house of terror, because how can you really call that a home and given in to the care of another set of foster parents the child considers it a step up, but not by much. Those guardians are indifferent to her and after providing her with the basics of life, ignored her. They lived in another county so the awkward teenager is placed into a school that subjects her to hate filled loathing by school mates that don't understand this poor unfortunate soul and the horror never seems to end.

And yet it does. She grew up and aged out of Foster Care. She worked hard, earned scholarships and through perseverance became a leading authority in Forensic Anthropology. She was sought out by Universities to come and work for them, but the pinnacle of the scientific community wanted her and so she became employed by the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C.

Her nightmares had been many while in Foster Care, but away from the system they started to fade. Her guarded behavior on the other hand did not. How does one trust humanity when you've seen the worst it has to offer? How do you let your guard down and trust people when you've rarely seen kindness or trust in return? She had no family and no friends and she was alone.

Perhaps you do it one person at a time.

Angela was the first real friend she'd ever had. She was a wild spirit raised by her loving father, but her childhood was spent in an unusual environment. Angela was raised with loud music and screaming fans and in hotel rooms and tour buses and yet she was kind and compassionate and a gifted artist. This free spirit saw something in Temperance Brennan that no one else seemed to see and drew the scientist into her circle of friendship. Angela protected her friend and helped her to learn how to navigate in the world when no one else ever bothered to try. She wanted Brennan to learn that there was more to life than bones and death. There is also life and hope and perhaps in the end, happiness.

Booth was her second real friend. It didn't start out that way, but as the years progressed, they became friends and ultimately best friends. Like most friends, they slowly learned each other's history and were appalled with what they had learned. These friends seemed to complete each other. They were two sides of a single coin and together they were a valuable unit. A coin worth a lot more than mere appearance showed to the world.

Booth discovered that Brennan suffered from horrible nightmares and most of the time after such a horrifying dream, she would flee to the Lab where she would work to escape her dark thoughts, her dark dreams. Over the years, Brennan would learn to call her friend to let him know where she was and why and being the good friend that he was, he'd arrive early the next morning at the Lab, loaded down with coffee and food. He would make sure she ate and later that day, Booth would find a way to get her to go home early and rest.

The Federal Agent wasn't a stranger to nightmares himself. Raised in a home filled with hate, Booth's father suffered from PTSD and he turned his rage and fright outward towards his family. His affliction was chronic and never seemed to get better. Edwin Booth had flashbacks to that time in his life when he was shot down over Vietnam. He relived his harrowing walk across a countryside filled with people that would have liked to have seen him dead. Badly injured and afraid, it had taken him days to make it to safety and he mentally relived that experience on and off again for the rest of his life.

Edwin Booth was a frustrated man, forced to give up flying and to become a barber. It was a fall from heaven and he never truly recovered. He learned to hate his life and with it his loss of control. He felt helpless and when he drank and that was often, he took his self-loathing to a new level and beat his wife and children. In a bizarre way, he felt in control when he drank. He was the king of his castle, all hail the king. His word was law and like most tyrants, he used the sword of wrath against those he had control over. No one was safe in his kingdom.

Booth escaped that household when his grandfather saved him and his brother from a father bent on killing his oldest son. Booth was grateful to his grandfather and loved the man as a son does a father and yet he didn't completely escape that house of hate that Edwin Booth had built so easily. Booth suffered from terrible nightmares and it was months before they stopped. It took the love of an old man to help him. When he screamed in the night, his Pops would rush into the bedroom and pull his grandson into his arms. He would hold the weeping child and calm him with soothing words. He never lifted a hand in anger towards his grandsons and slowly those children began to heal.

Hank Booth knew that his grandsons were marred by their father's rage and he prayed that all would be well and for a while it seemed his prayers were answered. Seeley got a scholarship to Penn State, but lost it due to an injury. A poor boy from Philadelphia with little hope for a higher education, he joined the army and he flourished. He found his calling and as awful as most civilians would have deemed it, it was a calling that his country needed. He was good at shooting. He was good at infiltrating enemy lines and taking out evil men that needed to be erased from the face of the earth. He had a unique skill and Seeley Booth was proud to serve his country.

At the age of 19, he was captured by the Republican Guard during Operation Desert Storm and that captivity almost cost him his life. He was brutally beaten and his feet were broken. In a few short days, he was traumatized and more than once he prepared himself to die. In the end, he was rescued and brought back to the United States where his feet were repaired. He would always have a reminder of those short terrible days because his feet would forever feel pain when he stood up or walked, but he was alive and that was more than enough. A terrible ordeal for a young man to live through and yet he was never bitter about it. He accepted it and moved on.

Except in his dreams. His nights were filled with beatings and pain. His dark nightmares were filled with horror and fear. To his consternation his dreams became a jumble of beatings by his father and the Republican Guard. He had little defense and had to ride them out as they came, but after a while his nightmares became intermittent instead of constant and he felt himself lucky. He could live with a few nightmares and he continued with his life.

Brennan's partnership with Booth meant that she was exposed to dangers she had never dreamt possible. Over time, she was kidnapped twice, shot and stabbed once. She was threatened by evil men and psychotic women and her nightmares returned. While she had Booth to talk to, her nightmares usually faded with the night, but still the return of her nightmares meant that she would never be free from her past.

During a dark period in her life, she suffered in silence and alone. She went on a dig to Maluku, away from her best friend and her confident. Sometimes her nightmares would wake up the entire camp and more than once her fellow scientists tried to broach the subject of her dark dreams only to be told by her that her private life was private.

Booth was also in a bind that eventful year. He shipped off to Afghanistan as an instructor and as an advisor, but that didn't free him from the perils the rest of his unit was in. More than once he'd been called upon to use his skills as a sniper and the body count on his cosmic balance sheet grew. The sheet grew lopsided in a negative way and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The good he had done as a Federal Agent was undone while on his tour of duty. With no one to talk to about it, he suffered in silence during the day. His nights were shared by his roommates because much to his embarrassment his nightmares returned in full force.

Now his dark dreams were filled with broken feet, torturers and his father. Added to them were the times he'd been kidnapped, shot and threatened as an agent. The damage done to Brennan was mixed into that inky soup and it was a miracle he remained sane while he struggled with his orders to train and to kill.

He connected with a reporter and through her friendship, his nightmares seem to become less strident. They didn't entirely disappear, but they were fewer and for that Booth was eternally grateful. Hannah was his attempt to move on from the love he felt for his partner. Everyone needs someone to connect to, someone that cares whether you are alive or dead, sick or well, happy or sad and Hannah was his connection, his shield from the darkness that his life had become.

Once they were home again, Brennan returned to being a partner and a friend to Booth, but something was missing. Their spark seemed to be muted. Their misfire in front of the Hoover was forever hanging over their heads and Booth's girlfriend was proof that life was volatile and ever changing. Not always in expected ways.

Booth used the love of his girlfriend as a shield. He used it awkwardly and relentlessly. His heart had been broken and he was determined to shield that broken heart from everyone. He couldn't fix it, but that didn't matter to him. As long as it wasn't further damaged then that was all that mattered to him.

Brennan's heart was also broken. She had missed her chance and she knew it. She admitted it to the one she loved the most, but it seemed to be too late to change that. She too would have to live with a broken heart, but she had changed and unlike her partner and friend she would not shield it from the world. She was done with that. Her world had changed and her with it.

After her temporary breakdown, she found that her nightmares had all but stopped. She was comfortable with herself for the first time in her life. She had built a wall around herself and used it for most of her life and it had brought her nothing but loneliness. She was determined to not end up like Lauren Eames. That cardiologist had been untouched by the world and disappeared quietly from that world, not missed and unloved. Brennan would not go that way. She had her friends and her family. She loved one man and that man was no longer available, but that didn't matter. She still had her friendship with him and that was her most valuable possession. She would wait and see what the future would bring, but it wouldn't be done alone. She would never be alone again.

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I hope this story makes sense. This story is four chapters long. Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for reviewing my story. I really appreciate it. It really is the only way I can tell if you are interested or not.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was a man driven to find love. His life had been one long search to find that one person in this world who loved him and wanted to commit to him. He had never considered it a lifelong quest when he started out, but rejection after rejection forced him to move on in his quest.

The one he loved the most, had not been prepared to share a life with him and defeated, he had moved on. He absolutely knew that a 'no' from Brennan meant exactly that. He was a man of experience when it came to Dr. Temperance Brennan and being the honorable man that he was, he would never try to force her into a relationship she didn't want.

He had met Hannah in Afghanistan at a time when he desperately needed an anchor. His world had been filled with death and destruction and he felt like he was slowly sinking into a place of lost hopes and dreams. His nightmares had been horrendous, but her arrival in his life had sparked a ray of hope. Hannah was a bright ray of sunshine in his dark and meaningless life. No word from Brennan the many months he'd been in Afghanistan made him realize that his attempt in front of the Hoover to get her to commit to him had frightened her and made her distance herself from him. He wasn't even sure their friendship was salvageable and he mourned that loss too.

Hannah helped him to see that there was a bright side if he would just move towards it. After they were back in the states she moved in with him and Booth thought he was happy. He told himself over and over that he was in love and Hannah was the one he was meant to be with.

As the months wore on, Booth's nightmares returned in greater and greater number. Puzzled and confused he talked to Sweets about nightmares and what triggered them and came away worried that he was losing control of his life. His Post Traumatic Stress Disorder seemed to have stayed with him and that made no sense. He usually started to recover once he returned from the war zones he was assigned to and eventually the symptoms became manageable, but not this time. He was home, he was living with someone he thought he loved and his nightmares had increased. Booth was a very worried man. He was afraid he was becoming his father. Edwin Booth had been a chronic sufferer of PTSD and Booth feared that was happening to him.

He tried to cut down on drinking since alcohol is a depressant, but Hannah was a drinker and loved to party. Booth didn't want to disappoint her, so he continued the life style he had assumed with his new girlfriend.

Brennan's confession of missed opportunities cut him to his core. He had assumed her 'no' would never change and he had moved on. Berating himself for being the impatient person he knew he was, he realized that he had thrown away the future he had hoped to have with his best friend. He was a man trapped in a waking nightmare and with it came an increase in his dark dreams at night. He confused Brennan and he confused himself. He didn't know how to behave around her and that made them both uncomfortable. He was with Hannah and there seemed no honorable way out, but he couldn't give up his friendship to the only person who had ever accepted him as he is, warts and all. After a while he decided that none of it mattered. Brennan was his friend and she always would be. Her friendship was one of his most valuable assests and he would never give that up if he had any say in it.

With his life in a holding pattern, Booth decided to push on. With hopes of a better future, he asked Hannah to marry him and she turned him down.

Filled with rage, he had forced her out of his life. His ire great and in a fit of drunken rage, he'd almost thrown away the most valuable possession he owned besides his son. He had been mean to his partner and almost beyond belief she had ignored it and stood by him.

His nightmares were now a nightly occurrence filled with terror, blood, pain and death. He was alone and he woke many nights in clothes soaked to the skin. His sheets and pillow case damp and uncomfortable. For a while he feared that he would lose his sanity.

Brennan knew her best friend was in emotional pain, but there seemed little she could do to help him. Since her breakdown during the Lauren Eames case, she had felt like a new person. Figuratively speaking of course. The few nightmares she had were bad, but not anything she couldn't handle on her own. She no longer felt the need to use walls to protect herself. She was stronger than that. She was determined to live in the world and to connect to those around her. She had no intention of disappearing unnoticed by the world. She also knew that with the departure of Hannah Burley there was a possibility that her lost chance might not be as permanent as she had thought.

Once the reporter was gone from Booth's life, Brennan started to call him at night to check on him. Her excuse being a good night call to her best friend.

Booth used those calls as a life line. He was filled with anger and that anger was mostly aimed at himself. He loathed the things he had done in the last year and he felt there was no one to blame but himself. He realized that his poor decisions were the cause of the return of his PTSD and he knew that he needed help. He just didn't know who he could trust.

Ever since he'd met Brennan she had become the source of his hidden strength. He wasn't sure why, except that he had never had a friend like her. He trusted her like no one else. He could say anything to her and she could say anything to him. Some of those honest conversations would lead to bickering sessions, but that was part of their friendship too. Her phone calls each night helped him in ways he couldn't tell her. Afraid to make a mistake like the previous year in front of the Hoover, he was careful to work on forging a stronger friendship with his partner.

He refused to mention his nightmares, but somehow she knew about them.

Oooooooooooooooooo

His call had come at midnight. She had been asleep for about two hours and was in deep REM sleep when her phone rang. Fumbling for her phone, she soon had it pressed to her ear. "Brennan."

At first there was silence on the phone and she was tempted to hang up, but a sound came through and she knew that Booth was on the other end. She had been too sleepy to check the phone number of the caller, but who else would call her and not say anything. "Booth are you alright?"

 _Yeah . . . I didn't wake you did I? If I did I can hang up._

"Nonsense." Brennan heard the quiet desperation in his voice and she knew that his nightmare had been horrific. She had always had difficulty understanding those around her, but Booth was different. She knew him. She knew him well. "I was reading my latest copy of American Anthropologist."

 _Oh good . . . um . . . what's it about? Anything good?_

"Yes. I'm currently reading about water rights in the everyday lives of Texans." Brennan heard her partner clear his throat and remain silent. "I was thinking about starting a new book soon. I have an idea for a story, but it still needs a lot of research."

 _That's great . . . I can't wait to read it, Bones . . . Well, I just wanted to say goodnight._

She felt so sad that her friend was in so much pain, but she didn't want to embarrass him in anyway. She had made poor decisions in the last year and they were both paying the price for them. "Goodnight Booth. I'll meet you for breakfast at the Diner tomorrow morning . . . is 7:30 alright?"

 _Yeah of course . . . if I woke you I'm sorry . . ._

"You didn't wake me, Booth." She held the phone in her hand and waited for him to say something.

 _Night Bones._

The call ended, Brennan knew that there would probably be more of these late night calls in the future, but she loved her partner and she was willing to lose sleep if it helped him. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do for him.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Eventually they came to an agreement and they started to date. It was done almost accidentally. They didn't plan to date, but after the blackout in the District and their burning wishes were released to the universe, they altered how they saw each other. They dressed in nicer clothes when they went out at night. They met for drinks, for food and for long talks. They slowly moved towards each other, neither one willing to push too hard. There would be no repeat of the last year. Both were patient and willing to wait for the other.

Miraculously, both of them had fewer and fewer nightmares and by the time they took their final step towards each other, the dark dreams that filled their nights were few and far between.

Relieved, Booth knew that Brennan had been the key to his recovery. She helped him and he helped her and that was who they were. It made him smile when he thought about their relationship. How many times had Sweets blurted out that their relationship didn't make sense? He had said it so much that it had turned into an ear worm for Booth and he used to puzzle over it. In the end, he didn't care why he and Brennan were friends. They just were. Not everything is explainable.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Their new relationship was rocky at first, but they had both expected it to be. They were very independent individuals and not likely to be dominated by anyone. Two very strong personalities that had to learn to compromise. Their friendship stood them in good stead and helped them to get past the impassable.

All seemed to be well for both of them. They occasionally had horrifying dreams that left them shaken and on the verge of tears, but they also had someone to comfort them and help them through it. To Booth's relief, his PTSD wasn't chronic and his anxiety seemed to melt away the longer he and Brennan were in a relationship. Brennan also felt more relaxed and stronger as they forged a unifying partnership.

Brennan had a baby and their family was bigger. That small child was loved by both of them and they could only see a bright future ahead. They were at the top of their field and respected by all. Brennan was so happy, she rarely thought about her past and she knew her mate was the happiest she'd ever seen him.

All was well with them until it wasn't.

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Is this any good? Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

("The Past in the Present" / "The Future in the Past")

Thank you for reviewing my story. I really appreciate it.

I really don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

How could things have deteriorated so fast in their lives? One minute Booth and Brennan were happy living the lives they had always dreamed of and thought would be impossible to achieve and the next minute, Brennan was hiding from a dangerous psychopath, her life in danger. Framed for the murder of her friend, Ethan Sawyer and unwilling to be imprisoned for it, Brennan had fled with her baby. She had used her father's help to escape an arrest warrant and to do it cleanly she had left Booth behind.

Her beloved partner had been deserted to protect him just as much as it had been to protect her. If he didn't know about her plans, he couldn't be held accountable or at least not completely. She had left without his knowledge and she knew that she had hurt him. She just hoped that he would forgive her someday if there was a someday.

Her weeks on the road, moving constantly had brought back memories of her late teen years. No home to call her own, a lack of stability, fear of the police and anyone else in authority meant that she was alone once more in her life.

As her loneliness progressed so did the return of her horrible nightmares. How could they not? Once more she was at the mercy of an unmerciful government. Innocent of the crime she was accused of, she was forced to rely upon her friends at the Jeffersonian to clear her name. She was forced to spend her days away from the one she loved the most and alone she started to relive the terrors of her Foster Care years. Whether you called it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or not, she was certainly living with the symptoms. Night after night, she woke in terror, her baby crying in the room with her. She knew her terrifying cries while asleep were waking her baby and causing the child anxiety, but there was nothing she could do about it. She only wished to be back home, in the arms of her lover, comforted and giving comfort.

Booth was also living in the same waking nightmare that Brennan was. As the weeks slowly crept by, he found his nights filled with night sweats, horrifying dark dreams and no one to help him through it. His days were spent doing donkey work for the FBI. His supervisors wouldn't use him on cases and they constantly harassed him about his missing partner. He was stoic during the day, but not so much at night.

Sometimes after a few hours of rest, he'd wake up certain his wife and child were dead. He would have to talk himself out those horrifying thoughts and that might take the rest of the night. The pressure was almost unbearable, but he knew that Brennan was strong and Max was clever, so he had to remain strong too. He would get his family back. He had to get his family back. They were his anchor in the world, they were his connection. Parker was in England and Booth had accepted it. He had no one to talk to, no one to care for. He was alone.

In the cold light of day, he refused to believe that the one he loved the most wouldn't return to him. In the meantime his nights would be spent drinking Scotch and watching ballgames he wasn't interested in. Most of the time he'd crack open one of Brennan's books and read it while the games played unwatched on his television. Restless he would often wait until late into the night before retiring to his bed. After all, if you know what is coming next wouldn't you put it off as long as possible?

Oooooooooooooooooo

Eventually his mate and child were returned to him and then began a most uncomfortable time for both of them. Booth tried not to blame Brennan for leaving him behind and Brennan tried to accept that once more she was in a relationship that demanded her to give a small part of herself. Both fought their anger internally until they could no longer hide it. After a few days of arguing Brennan spoke to Sweets and she had to accept that her life was where she wanted it to be. She was with the only person she had ever loved and that required her to give a piece of herself to him.

Booth and Brennan realized that they had to forget the lost summer and move on. It was the only option open to them.

Though their psychotic tormentor was still at large, they slowly put their relationship back together. They unfailing forgave each other for whatever ill feelings they felt because of their summer of torment and became the solid unit they had been. They knew that separate they were weak and together they were strong. This summer of loneliness had taught them that they truly belonged together.

Their nights were still filled with awful dreams, but once more they were comforted by their lover. They felt their anxiety flow out of their relationship and it was replaced with love and passion. Each had suffered alone, but they weren't alone anymore and once more they could count on each other, their trust wasn't broken.

Brennan appreciated her new life. Their baby was growing and Christine's separation from her father had seemed to have had little effect on her. Booth had missed a couple of firsts and he had seemed to resent it, but in the end he accepted it. What else could he do?

The months slipped by and their relationship was strong. Their nights were no longer filled with terrifying dreams and when they were, they could fall into their lover's arms and those terrors would fade away to be replaced with kisses and caresses.

Oooooooooooooooooo

He'd entered the house and draped his coat on the back of the couch. Spying Christine across the room, he smiled and clapped his hands. "Christine . . . Daddy is home . . . come to Daddy."

Much to his surprise, she rose up on her feet holding onto the coffee table and cried out. "Dada." Moving along the edge of the table, she finally released it and wobbled towards her father. Confronted with a rag doll lying on the floor in her path, the child tried to move around it and fell, much to her frustration. With a piercing cry of anger, she fell on the seat of her pants, looked at father and gestured with her hands, tears flowing down her rosy cheeks.

As Booth hurried across the room to soothe her, Brennan stepped out of the kitchen and observed him lean over and pick up their daughter. "It's alright Christine . . . you weren't really hurt were you?" He held her in the crook of his arm and sat down on the couch. Once he was settled with the child on his lap, he wiped away her tears with a finger. "You did great there, Sweetheart. You really were walking . . . Daddy is so proud of you . . . yes he is, so damn proud."

Brennan's heart melted, figuratively of course. Her partner's love for his family was so plain for anyone to see. He was a wonderful father and Brennan hoped that his caring and kind nature would be passed on to their daughter. "She just started walking this afternoon. I took some video on my phone so you wouldn't miss it."

Grateful, Booth turned his gaze upon Brennan. "Thanks, Bones. She's growing up so fast . . . we're going to have to keep an eye on her. Once she starts walking for real, we're going to have to baby proof our house some more. Toddlers get into everything believe me."

"Oh I believe you." Brennan laughed. "I was just in the kitchen removing toxins and caustics from the lower cabinets and I placed them on top of the refrigerator. It looks cluttered, but I'll rearrange the cabinets later and put the containers out of sight."

Unconcerned, Booth smiled. "Good, I'll help you tonight . . . our little girl is smart just like her Dad. No telling what she'll get into."

Amused, Brennan shook her head. "Um, of course Booth . . . just like her father."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

(A Shot in the Dark)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I really appreciate it. I know a lot of you didn't care for this story and that's okay. It was kind an experiment. This is the last chapter.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

He'd never prayed so hard in his life. To find her lying on the floor at the Lab in a pool of her own blood was probably the worst thing Booth had ever had to deal with in his life. Their child crying in the background just added to the anxiety and terror of the moment. Once his girlfriend was in the hospital, he'd given Christine over to the care of Max and Booth had stayed near Brennan. When he wasn't praying for her recovery he was worrying that there would be no recovery. His days were filled with hope and fear. He hoped she would come through this, but he feared she wouldn't. It had been such a close thing.

Booth wasn't sure why he was constantly being tested, but he was. How many times does someone have to be separated from their loved one before they crumble into tiny pieces that can't be put back together? Booth didn't know the answer to that question and he hoped he never did.

Miraculously Brennan had lived, but not before she came close to dying. Booth had helped find the assailant and his girlfriend's attacker was brought to justice. In the meantime, Brennan went through a painful recovery, her boyfriend by her side. Their friends trying to help them both.

Brennan had found the situation entirely ridiculous. Shot in her own Lab, left to die by a co-worker, a man of science, she had been reminded of the time five years before her attack when an intern had been killed at the Jeffersonian for similar reasons. That young woman had been killed because of smuggled antiquities and Brennan had almost met the same fate. It would seem that almost anyone could be affected by greed and she felt betrayed by that discovery. Science should be above something so pedestrian.

Once she was home, her days were spent recovering from her near departure from this earth. Her days were quiet while Booth and Max took care of both Christine and the house. Restless, more than once Brennan tried to do something other than sit and read only to be fussed at by either Booth or Max or both. She wasn't used to confinement and it just confirmed what most people already knew, she wasn't a very good patient.

Her nights were broken by the return of her dark dreams. She realized that she had come close to death, but she didn't see why that would cause the return of her nightmares.

"Come on, Bones." For the tenth time, Booth tried to get Brennan to accept that no one has control over their dreams and fussing about it wouldn't help. "You were traumatized. You saw your dead mother. Hell, of course you're having nightmares. Just give it time . . . they'll slow down just like they always do."

Annoyed, Brennan huffed at her boyfriend. "I am not trying to control my dreams and I did not see my mother, Booth. My mother is dead . . . I dreamt about her while I was unconscious. There is no afterlife. That is superstitious nonsense."

A smirk on his face, Booth decided to remind her about what she had confided in him and Max while she was in the hospital. "I'd like to remind you that you told Max that your mother knew that Max had stolen the first gift he'd ever given her. You told us that she told you that when you saw her. You even said you thought it was true."

Not amused, Brennan crossed her arms against her breasts. "You cannot hold that conversation against me, Booth. I was suffering from blood loss, two surgeries and a reaction to the wrong blood type being given to me in a transfusion. I was liable to say anything and believe anything at that time."

Having none of it, Booth shook his head. "Try to weasel out of it all you want. You said it and I believe you . . . as for your nightmares, I'm here for you, Bones. I'm right beside you every night. When you have a bad night I'll help you just like you help me."

Her features softening, Brennan smiled at her lover. "Yes, you are. Thank you Booth. When I have those terrible dreams . . . they are so upsetting and it's a great comfort to me knowing that you are there beside me."

Proud that Brennan counted on him, Booth moved closer to her and sat down beside her. "Always, Bones . . . always."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

As the days wore on Brennan's dreams seem to return to their normal content, but much to his surprise, Booth's nightmares started to intrude into their lives.

PTSD was forever with Booth and he knew it, but he hadn't been in a war zone since he'd come back from Afghanistan. As a Federal Agent he was confronted by violent crime and its aftermath on a constant basis. Somehow his mind accepted that part of his life and rarely caused him bad dreams more than once or twice a week. Yes, in the past his kidnapping by the Gravedigger had caused him many nights of unrest and being shot while doing his duty had been triggers too, but Brennan was alive and well and lying next to him. The whole thing seemed to be unfair.

After a particularly bad dream, Booth had woke up panting and sweating. Unable to stop himself, he'd turned in his bed, placed his arms around Brennan and pulled her against his chest. Sobbing, he couldn't help the feeling he'd had while in the midst of his nightmare. She had died before he'd found her at the Lab and her cold body hadn't responded by any attempt to revive her.

Brennan was awakened when she was pulled into Booth's embrace, but she immediately realized what had happened. His sobs were heart breaking and with her own tears leaking from her lashes, Brennan held her hands against his arms and tried to soothe him. "It was just a dream Booth. Just a dream."

Slowly he calmed down and his sobs finally stopped. He relaxed with her body pressed against his and he knew that she was safe. "I'm sorry . . . I don't get it. I wasn't hurt and you're alright. Christine is alright . . . Parker is fine . . . everyone is fine. Why now? I don't get it."

"Don't apologize, Booth." Brennan was unconcerned by her sudden awakening. "Many times I've woken you up, so I feel we are even when it comes to this . . . Do you wish to talk about it?"

He cleared his throat and kept his arms around her. "You died."

Brennan was aware of this particular dream since he's had it four nights in a row. "But I didn't. I'm fine."

"I know." Booth finally relaxed enough to allow himself to release her from his hold. "I know." Moving onto his back, he stared at the ceiling. "Why do you stay with me? I'm such a mess."

Though it was far from amusing, Brennan couldn't help it and snorted. "You know I don't believe in psychology, but there is truth in the fact that some people suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You have had a very traumatic life, Booth . . . so have I. It never escapes us and it probably shouldn't. We've seen the sordid and violent side of life and it helps us guard against being a victim . . . most of the time. It does seem that we have both been subjected to more than our share of misadventure, but we have always come through it with the help of each other . . . You're suffering right now, but it isn't chronic Booth. You know it isn't. You have triggers as I do, but the symptoms fade. They always fade. I stay with you because I love you and you love me. You are the only one who's accepted me for who I am and have not really tried to change me."

Brennan turned and propped herself up on her elbow so she could look at Booth. "But I have changed and so have you. We aren't the people we were when we first met and I'm glad. I'm stronger and you're happier. I'm happy too. We have a life together and I love our life. I love what we have. We have a child, a home together, jobs we love to do. We have friends and the most important thing of all . . . we have each other. We're a family. I'm not leaving you over bad dreams and you aren't leaving me. I'm exactly where I want to be. Aren't you?"

Filled with love, Booth smiled. "I am too. I'm not going anywhere either. I'm afraid you're stuck with me, Bones."

A smile to match his, Brennan leaned down and kissed him. "I love you, Booth."

Ooooooooooooooooo

I think this is the final chapter. Let me know what you thought of my story. Thank you.


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